Twin sisters in Knoxville,Tennessee are making an impact on a community by providing food to the homeless for 25 years, through a project they co-founded called ‘Love Kitchen’. Ellen Turner and Helen Ashe, are 82-year-old retirees that began the ‘Love Kitchen’ in the basement of a church in 1986. They are as committed as ever to make sure no one goes without the very essentials of life. The foundation is a charity which nourishes what they call, ‘5 Hs’.

“And thats the hungry, the homeless, the helpless, the hopeless, and the homebound”, says younger sister Helen Ashe.

After they graduated high school in the segregated south, they worked as nurses in a segregated hospital. “They had one floor there at the hospital, the third floor, for black patients,” says Ellen Turner. It was their time with the needy and destitute people in the hospital that inspired them to open the ‘Love Kitchen’.

When the charity opened its doors, it provided 22 meals on the first day, as opposed to the 2,000 a week provided today. In addition to providing hot meals, the charity provides free groceries to individuals, as well as delivery for those physically unable to make it to the charity grounds. The charity survives on donations and generosity.

“We give love, and that’s why we call it the love kitchen.”

Source: thegrio.com; NBC Nightly news

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I have worn myself out organizing my walk-in closet! I am now reflecting on a book that I read years ago written by the Delaney sisters. I believe that these two sisters lived to be well into their 90s…maybe longer. They said that the less that you have, the less you have to manage. So true. I will always adore fashion. I so look forward to seeing certain trends that I love return…yeah, capes for fall! But I am a wife, mother, business owner, singer/songwriter, volunteer at my son’s school…you get my point?

I keep thinking that I need variety…you know, for all of the different ways I live. Oh, and I can’t get rid of that t-shirt! I wore it to my first concert! I just need to lose 10 more pounds to get back into that dress! And how dare I show up to church with the same thing on twice and have them talking about me! Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever!!!!

So, maybe I will continue my love affair with accessories and streamline my wardrobe. ‘Cause my time is one of my most valuable gifts. I’m learning to live more, give more and be free! One thing I am doing is holding on to alot of the accessories and letting go of the clothes. I would rather have my closet running over with shoes, purses and jewelry and own only three pairs of jeans. And I can remember a time when I had 30 pairs of jeans in my closet. Do whatever makes you feel good. My point is that life is stressful enough…. Here’s some tips on simple living but keeping your inner fashionista in tact.

Use clear containers so that you can see where everything is. Don’t you hate looking for a particular item? Especially when time is of the essence.

Stay clear of too many trends.

Fill your closet with classic pieces.

Invest some $$$$ into your clothes so that they will last.

Hand wash, cold versus dry cleaning when you can.

If it doesn’t fit, can’t be fixed or you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it or give it away.

Well..that’s it! I’m still working on this closet of mine….I know one thing for sure, I’ve got more things to do with my time than washing and folding.

Oh, and by the way, that is NOT my closet in the picture. I might post a pic of mine once I’m finished….but on many days, it looks just like that one.

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What women carry in their purses is one of the most interesting things to me. I’ve read several articles about what women should carry. As women, we are so used to being prepared for any emergency. Maybe we have been passively groomed to meet everyone’s needs. Really? Are we responsible for meeting the needs of everyone who we thinks needs us? You mean to tell me that my worth as a woman, mother and wife is based on that? Depending on how we live, especially mothers, we would carry the kitchen sink with us….you know, just in case. I sometimes think that women value themselves by their ability to have everything….you know, just in case.

I find that women love large handbags and that’s cool. I like them too…..I love purses! I guess that’s a given, huh?! But that doesn’t mean that you have to carry so many items in it that it doubles as “free weights.” As you get older, you will begin to feel the effects of having carried too much.

I challenge you guys to at least once a week, just carry a small purse that carries about five items. Or maybe do it for the weekends. I find that when I carry too much stuff, what do I do? Spend a heck of alot of time looking for what I needed. Free yourself…detach…and trust the Universe to give you just what you need at all times.

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Remember when you were growing up? Little girls looked like little girls! More and more, I see teenage girls looking more like grown women. The fashion industry now caters to what the media portrays as “age-appropriate” buy designing alot of clothes that are simply to revealing, too mature for young girls. There was no way growing up that my mother would let me even walk into a Victoria’s Secret store, or wear anything that would show alot of cleavage. Nowadays, I find myself shopping in the juniors’ section because the clothes are sometimes cuter than in the women’s section. What’s wrong with that picture when it is the female Baby Boomers that have the most residual income in America?

And let’s keep it real too. You are the parent…are you teaching your daughters values? Are you setting an example? Are you allowing them to wear whatever they want? I went through a phase…..in my twenties where I was not making modest choices in clothing. Becoming a wife and mother to a son, especially, made me see that my son would make choices in women somewhat based on how he saw me. I never want to be one of those mothers whose son is embarrassed because of the way his mother dressed.

The article shown below is great….I hope that you will find some of the suggestions useful. We have the power to change the world, instead of allowing the world to dictate how we see ourselves.

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Editor-in-Chief

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. With all of the blogs in the world, I'm grateful that you're here. My goal is to be informative, delightful and interesting! My subject area will be life, love and the pursuit of happiness as it relates to: ART, FASHION, ENTERTAINMENT, STYLE & CULTURE.